Major retailers are backing on the Cotton Egypt Association’s (CEA) drive to rid the supply chain of falsely labeled Egyptian cotton goods. They support the measures being taken by the CEA to root out dishonest manufacturers and counterfeit goods from the supply chain. John Lewis and Dunelm are among those backing the drive.

Manufacturers who do not meet the new criteria will no longer be licensed to produce Egyptian cotton products or use the trademarked logo. John Lewis says all Egyptian cotton products they sell are 100 per cent genuine. Similarly the UK-based Dunelm Group supports the new accreditation process put in place by the CEA to protect the Egyptian cotton brand and will be continuing to insist suppliers meet those standards as a condition of trade with Dunelm.

CEA has also partnered leading testing and verification body Bureau Veritas. The process, which has been endorsed by several academic and professional bodies, works by extracting DNA from cotton fibers, yarns, woven, knitted, fabric or finished apparel. This can then be used to identify the origin and source of the fibers and the percentage of genuine Egyptian cotton in a product. Only manufacturers found to be producing 100 per cent Egyptian cotton goods will receive the accreditation.